GLOUCESTER, ON — When Bob McIntosh and Gregg McNair loaded their trailers for the ride home from Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday night, each rig was bearing a few pounds of extra weight.

Four Grassroots trophies were up for grabs at the Ottawa oval, and each trainer harnessed two winners in the $80,000 freshman pacing colt event.

McNair trainee Mr Coolie opened the program with an upset victory in the second race, powering up the outside to catch early leader Lyons Trick and fan favourite Spanker. The No Pan Intended son stopped the clock in a smart 1:56, one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Spanker and Goal Getter.

Thursday’s outing was Mr Coolie’s debut in the provincial program; he was scratched sick out of the season opener at Georgian Downs in July. Guelph resident McNair bred the colt, and shares ownership on the half-brother to $398,464 winner Claires Apache with Ian Fleming of Londesborough.

McIntosh trainee Panjour Monsieur prevented McNair from earning his second win when he sprinted down the stretch in the fourth race and snatched a head victory away from pacesetter and fan favourite Daylon Artist. The McNair colt was forced to settle for second, with pocket sitter Run For Copper rounding out the top three.

Panjour Monsieur was also making his Grassroots debut, and his 1:57 clocking marked his first visit to the winner’s circle. Peter Pan Stables Inc. of Pepper Pike, OH bred and owns the son of No Pan Intended and $997,902 winner French Panicure, who prepped for the race with a 1:59 qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 11.

Driver Tony Kerwood piloted all of McIntosh’s colts on Thursday, and the veteran reinsman opted for similar tactics in the third Grassroots division. Sitting fourth on the outside with heavy favourite Go West Lucky Cam, Kerwood asked the Camluck son for another gear in the stretch and the colt simply exploded away from the field.

Pacesetter Hundred Diamonds did his best to keep up, but Go West Lucky Cam hit the wire one and a half lengths on top in an effortless 1:57. Mild Mannered was four lengths back in third.

Windsor resident McIntosh bred and shares ownership on Go West Lucky Cam with his cousin Al McIntosh of Leamington and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell. Through four starts the colt has two Grassroots wins and a win in his Battle of Waterloo Elimination to his credit for earnings of $32,000.

In the last Grassroots split, young reinsman Doug McNair earned his second photo op of the evening when he and Battle of Waterloo champion Trail Boss ran away from the field to a four and a half length win in 1:55. The mile shaved a full second off the 1:56 personal best the Apaches Fame son laid down in the Battle of Waterloo Final.

Thunderfist and Allamerican Extra overtook pacesetter and McIntosh trainee Lucky Herb to claim second and third spots in the last $20,000 Grassroots split.

Gregg McNair also bred Trail Boss, and shares ownership on the colt with his mother, Gwendolyn McNair of Walkerton. Through three starts Trail Boss has captured two wins and one second, and banked $166,000.

McNair and McIntosh will renew their friendly rivalry in the third two-year-old pacing colt Grassroots event on Aug. 31 at Clinton Raceway. Rideau Carleton Raceway fans will be treated to action from the two-year-old pacing fillies on Friday, Aug. 29, when the youngsters arrive in Ottawa for their first Trillium Series event.

For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rridcfth.html.